Degree Requirements

Completion of the graduate program in social research requires a minimum of 45 credits, which include:

I. Core Courses

Statistics I (GSR 708)

Statistics II (GSR 709)

Research Methods I (GSR 710, Qualitative Methods)

Research Methods II (GSR 711, Quantitative Methods)

Contemporary Sociological Theory (GSR 702)

Workshop in Using Information Technology for Research (GSR 716)

Seminar in Applied and Evaluation Research (GSR 717)

II. Electives

Up to fifteen credits are taken in courses in the candidate’s area of research application. With permission of the faculty or graduate advisor, students may take some courses in related graduate programs within the CUNY system or other institutions.

Degree candidates must work as research interns in public or private organizations for a minimum of three (full-time) or six (part-time) months. A 9-credit sequence based on the internship includes 6 credits for completion of the internship, and 3 credits applying their skills and experience in the research seminar. Students may use data from their internship in their seminar, if appropriate. The internship (718) and the seminar (719) must be taken in sequence.

The program can be completed in two years on a full-time basis, or three years on a part-time basis (two courses per semester minimum, plus summers). For students entering the program in the spring term, completion usually requires five semesters, due to course sequencing.

Recommended Course Sequence

Both full and part-time students should aim to take the methods and statistics sequence (708/9, 710/11) in their first year. Statistics I is only offered in the fall, and is a prerequisite for Statistics II, so timely degree completion will be impacted if one does not take this class right away. The core methods classes can be taken in either order.

All students are expected to take the required GSR 719 seminar in their final spring term. (This course is only offered in the spring.) Completion of the internship (GSR 718) is a prerequisite for the seminar; therefore, students must start their internships by their last fall term at the latest.

Prior to planning an internship, students must select (or define) an area of applied research, and complete at least one, but preferably two or more, electives in that area. Electives may be taken concurrently with the internship. However, it is assumed that one would take at least one elective in each semester in order to identify one's area of application before seeking out an internship.